Going Home
by pandagrrl
Summary: Ana lives in Port Royal but her home is really on the water. She hooks up with Jack and Will looking for a little vengeance of her own. Bad summary, you can decide about the story for yourself. :)
1. So It Begins

Author's note: I'm going to try to follow the movie as closely as I can, of course, I will be adding my own elements as well. Sorry if you think it stinks! P.S. I have no rights to the Pirates of the Caribbean or anything Disney. Ana is my own invention though, so hands off!  
  
Ana looked longingly out at the crystal blue Caribbean waters that spread to the horizon. She sighed sadly before turning her head away from the window, it had been so long since she had enjoyed those days at sea with her family. She walked across the brightly lit room and picked up the ladies gloves she had been embroidering before she had been distracted by the musical fanfare that was coming from the fort. Fingering the small red sparrows that shown vibrantly in the sunlight that flooded the room, Ana traced the tiny birds' wings trying to ignore the stinging sensation of tears in her eyes. 'How silly I'm being,' she thought, 'Getting so emotional over a pair of gloves.' She sat down in her hard wooden chair and set about rethreading her needle to return to her work.  
  
It had been six years since she had come to Port Royal. She did not come by choice, if there had been a way for her to live on the sea, she would gladly have chosen that route. Living in the settlement was lonely and difficult. For the most part, no one took notice of her, only of the goods that she produced for the residents. She was a skilled seamstress for being so young, and especially clever at creating new recipes for food that would stay fresh on long ship voyages, particularly important to the people that worked in the harbor. Any one who entered her shop merely gave her their order, paid for their goods, and left without speaking to her anymore. Ana had become accustomed to this treatment. She did not prefer it but thought it best not to concern herself with the acceptance of Port Royal. She had used a good portion of her inheritance to open her shop, which was both a bakery and a tailoring establishment. During the week, the two rooms were usually bustling with customers, but on days like this, when there was a public affair up at the fort, the streets of the city were virtually empty.  
  
Ana appreciated the quiet. She would have liked to have had her mother there, sitting by her and maybe telling her a story while they worked on the gloves together, but the pain of that thought made the stinging return to her eyes and she once again put down the glove. "I can't finish this now," she said aloud. She set the glove by its mate on the table, closed her thread box, and made for the stairs that lead up to her sleeping quarters that were above her store. She could hear the wind begin to pick up and thought she should close the shudders over all of the windows. She had just shut the last window in the bakery when she heard a number of shots being fired. Her eyes widened and she hurried up the stairs and threw open her trunk. As her hand grasped the sheath of her sword, she heard a soldier shout from below, "Look lively men!" 'So they're looking for someone. Well, he'll be unlucky when they catch him, whoever it is,' she thought grimly. Although she never voiced it, in part because there was no one for her to say it to, Ana wasn't incredibly fond of the Royal Navy. She had her reasons. Attaching the sheath of her sword to the belt under her overskirt, she bolted down the narrow stairway and headed straight out her door, not remembering to lock it behind her. She followed the sounds of running footsteps and glimpsed a number of red coats turning a corner. She ran to follow them.  
  
Hiding herself behind empty barrels that lined the back walls of the shops, she watched through the spaces in between. The men were trying to break into Mr. Brown's blacksmith quarters. 'What do they think they're doing?' Ana wondered, 'They're only going to find an old drunk. Master Turner is likely to still be at the fort, I'm sure he would have wanted to see the Commodore's reaction to his new sword. He worked hard on it.' Will Turner was one of the few people that had ever shown Ana any courtesy in Port Royal. 'He won't be very happy when they see what they're doing to his door,' she thought. Suddenly, the men broke through and she was able to see who was in command: Commodore Norrington! 'If he's with them then that means Master Turner could possibly be in there! What on earth is happening?' The soldiers darted into the workshop and she strained her ears to hear the voices that were being carried out of the open door way.  
  
"Excellent work Mr. Brown. You've assisted in the capture of a dangerous fugitive," the Commodore said pompously.  
"Just doing my civil duty, sir," slurred the drunken blacksmith.  
  
Ana snorted. 'Of all the.' She was cut off by what Commodore Norrington said next. "Well, I trust you'll always remember this as the day that Captain Jack Sparrow almost escaped. Take him away."  
  
Ana's eyes widened. "Jack!" she whispered. She hurried back towards her shop with the Commodore's final words ringing in her ears. 


	2. Follow Me

Ana pushed open her shop door and remembered to bolt it behind her. She trudged up the stairs, her heart pounding loudly with every step. She continued to replay the name, 'Captain Jack Sparrow,' over and over in her head. She lit a candlestick before plopping down on the edge of her bed and started to unbraid her dark brown mane. It had certainly gotten longer and darker since her arrival in Port Royal. On the sea she had kept it short, nearly chin length and the sun had kept it so a lighter auburn color, but since she had been confined to the island, it had grown waist length, she had only cut it two times since she had opened her shop, and she had no time to bask in the sun anymore. As she sat running her fingers through her hair, the memory of her mother making this same motion overwhelmed her and she bent her head low and let the tears come. Opening her eyes, she saw an awkward point sticking out of her underskirt. She stood up and undid her belts letting her black overskirt fall to the floor and catching her sheathed sword before it hit the bare wood.  
  
Fingering the hilt she withdrew it and watched the blade glimmer in the candlelight. She put it back in its stiff covering and made to put it back in her trunk. She wasn't really sure why she had taken it out with her today, it would have been more logical just to have taken her pistol. But she had always been drawn to sword-fighting ever since her father had taught her and her brother how to handle a sword correctly. That memory, too, cause a painful throbbing in her heart and she laid her weapon down on her bed. Picking up her overskirt, Ana folded the rough material neatly so that it would not crease and set it upon the old armchair she had in the corner of her living quarters. She would end up wearing it again tomorrow with a different underskirt and a different bodice. Without removing the other clothing she was wearing, Ana climbed onto her bed, moved her sword aside and fell into a fitful sleep full of images from the past.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A few hours later~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ana awoke with a start. She could have sworn she had heard cannon fire. 'It must have been my dream again,' she thought drowsily. But then a slight tremor and an even louder BOOM told her it was much more than a dream, Port Royal was being attacked! She threw herself out of bed, grabbed her sword and overskirt and hurriedly put them on. She grabbed her pistol from the top drawer of her dresser and rushed down the stairs, taking them two at a time. She hadn't taken her shoes off before falling asleep so her stockings and boot buttons did not hinder her flight from her room.  
  
Wrenching open her door, Ana saw the chaos that had engulfed the city. There were gunshots and smoke surrounding her on each side. Pistol in hand, she darted out into the middle of the street after pulling her door closed. She knew she was no match for these sudden hostilities, it was her main goal to get to the fort. Along the way she had to dodge flying debris and frantic citizens searching for separated family members. At one point, a scaffolding was falling, about to crush a screaming child, and Ana snatched the young body out of harm's way. The child was still screaming as she carried it in her arms in the direction of the fort. Passing the glass shop, she noticed a short man throwing small explosives in the window. Realizing he was a pirate, she broke into a sprint, hearing his maniacal laughter behind her, even over the child's shrieks. She had her pistol but she knew it would be no match for these invaders. These were not ordinary pirates. As one of the entrances to the fort came into view, a dumpy sort of woman came waddling hastily towards her, snatched the now sniffling child out of Ana's arms and scurried away without so much as a word of gratefulness. "You're welcome," Ana muttered before pushing past the crowd of anxious and frightened residents of the settlement that were discussing the fates of their dwellings and businesses. She didn't have much hope for the safety of her shop. She knew what these men were capable of. It was likely she would have nothing to return to.  
  
"They took the governor's daughter! They took Miss Swann!" shouted one of the younger British soldiers. There was an outburst of distress at this announcement among the people surrounding Ana. While she didn't think warmly of the governor's daughter, she did not think ill of her either. It did not quite distress her though, if truth be told, it made her curious. 'They don't take captives. I would know,' she thought bitterly. 'What do they want with her?'  
  
Quite some time had passed since the news of Elizabeth's kidnapping had been announced and the officers finally deemed it safe for the civilians to return to their homes. The sun was just breaking on the horizon. The wind from the other day had dissipated and a layer of fog filled the city streets. Small fires burned in every direction and no one could take a step without hearing the sound of crunching glass. With a heavy heart, Ana turned the corner and saw her doorway come into view. The sign above the door was hanging by one hinge and several of the shudders were in the same condition. The door had been forced open and splinters of weathered wood covered the floor. As she stepped into her shop, she surveyed it with her brown eyes narrowed in the dim dawn light. It looked as if it had been struck by a tornado. The shelves that held the bolts of cloth had been ripped down. Bread loaves and baking instruments were strewn all over the tables. There wasn't anything missing that she could tell at first, but then she realized, her bushel of apples that she used for baking was gone. Slowly she made her way to a particular floorboard, the one that had a knothole in the shape of a heart. She lifted it up gently, and let out a gasp of surprise. There, at the bottom of the compartment a foot deep, was the moneybox with all of her earnings from the store. Not trusting to hope, she opened it and joyfully saw not a coin had been touched.  
  
Afraid to imagine what the upstairs room would look like, she grabbed a piece of ripped material off the floor and tied her loose hair back. She picked up her pistol and her precious moneybox and headed up the stairs. The instant she had ascended the final step, the pungent smell of burnt wood met her nose. The table that once stood beside her bed now lay in a pile of ashes. There were dark streaks of smoke on the stone wall behind it. 'It's a miracle it didn't catch the bed on fire, too,' she thought numbly. Turning around in a small circle, Ana surveyed the damage done to her room. Her dresser drawers and their contents had been scattered across the room and her mattress had been ripped and moved off the bed frame. Feathers and clothing littered the floor. 'What a mess,' she thought as she made to pick up her belongings. Moving a pile of stockings, she realized that she hadn't seen her trunk. 'Oh no!' she thought frantically, 'Mama's dresses!' She searched every corner of her room then charged down the stairs. After searching every possible area for her trunk she admitted to herself it was gone. Feeling more miserable than she had in months, she trudged back up the stairs to finish her repairs to her room.  
  
After putting her last chemise into a drawer and replaced it into the dresser, she tackled the task of cleaning up the mess of her mattress. Finally, with a giant pile of feathers in the middle of her room, Ana made to sit in her chair, only to jump right back up. It had been broken and there was no hope to make it suitable again. She sighed heavily and sat on the floor, wiping her brow. Only then did she have time to think.  
  
'Why were they here. There is no way they'd have come for Jack. They must have been looking for it. What if that Will Turner really does . . . No, no. Well, maybe he . . .' She didn't finish her thought but stood up. She knew she had to do something, she wasn't sure what, but she would know it when it came to her. She marched purposefully to her reorganized dresser and pulled out a whole new days clothes. After she had changed and re-braided her hair into a single plait that hung down her back, she picked up her sword and pistol and hid them away in her skirts.  
  
Leaving her dwelling, she set off to find out what other damage had been done to Port Royal. As she neared the fort once again, she saw the prison cells. A great chunk of wall had been blown away but there was a good remainder left in tact. With a sardonic smile, she crossed the road over to the solid wall. Peering in threw the gaping hole, she saw the body outline of a man working diligently on a part of the cell door. Shaking her head she thought, 'Yep, that's you, Ol' Jack. I'd recognize that silhouette any day. My, but you do have the strangest luck.'  
  
Turning away, she strode over to the open atrium of the fort and leaned her back against the outer wall of the entrance, listening to the conversations taking place inside. Governor Swann and Commodore Norrington were trying to guess the villainous pirates' whereabouts. Ana saw Will Turner running towards her from the opposite end of the street. Without a glance in her direction, he barged into the older men's meeting.  
  
"They've taken her. They've taken Elizabeth!"  
"Mr. Murtogg, remove this man," Commodore Norrington replied dryly.  
'How foolish can you be, Master Turner? They have known about Miss Swann's kidnapping for sometime now. Everyone has,' thought Ana shrewdly.  
"And where do you suppose we start?" asked Governor Swann. "If you have any information concerning my daughter, please, share it."  
Ana heard a hesitant voice respond, "That Jack Sparrow, he talked about the Black Pearl." Ana's eyes widened and she scooted closer to the open doorway, still keeping out of sight.  
"Mentioned it, is more what he did," responded another voice. 'Why would he be talking about it at all?' she wondered.  
"Ask him where it is. Make a deal with him, he could lead us to it," Will pressed on.  
"No, the pirates who invaded this fort left Sparrow locked in his cell. Ergo, they are not his allies. Governor we will establish their most likely course . . ." Commodore Norrington was cut off by Will.  
Ana heard a THWACK as Will shouted, "That's not good enough!" In a challenging tone, the Commodore vocalized his thoughts, "Mr. Turner, you are not a military man, you are not a sailor. You are a blacksmith and this is not the moment for rash actions." There was a slight scuffle inside that sounded as if it were nearing the entryway. Ana pressed herself harder against the wall and heard Commodore Norrington continue in a quieter but more threatening voice, "Do not make the mistake of thinking you are the only man here who cares for Elizabeth."  
  
As Will walked out onto the street, Ana stepped away from the wall. "A bit frustrating when no one will take notice of you, isn't it?" She asked quietly. Will surveyed her with a questioning gaze. "Follow me," she said softly as she moved towards the jail.  
  
Author's note: I am so super sorry that this is so long. I really didn't mean for it to be, but once I get going it's hard to stop! I hope it's not too horrible! P.S. I am a poor CA girl whose only thing to do with anything Disney is to watch the movies and go to the park. I don't own any of their copyrights. -Pandagrrl 


	3. Only One Shot

Author's note: Unfortunately, I'm going to have to take some of the other actor's lines in the movie and give them to Ana. It'll just help the story make more sense and flow better. P.S. I have no affiliation with Disney other than I know the Pirates of the Caribbean theme by heart and sing it as loud as possible every time I go on the ride.  
  
Walking around the crumbling building, Ana led Will to the main lobby of the prison. She stopped suddenly. "I'll let you take it from here, Master Turner," she said, indicating that he go in before her. Uncertainly, he took a step forward. "You want to find her don't you?" she asked calmly. With a look of fresh determination, Will Turner advanced resolutely into the crumbling structure and proceeded down the stairs.  
  
Once on the lower level, Ana hung back in the shadows at the base of the stairs. She was very interested in how this was going to go. Although she was about the same height as Will, the heels of her boots allowed her to peer over his shoulder at the form lying inside the prison cell. From the rhythm of his breathing, she could tell he hadn't been in that position long.  
  
"You, Sparrow!" Will articulated a bit too loudly. "Aye?" replied the form on the ground, raising his head slightly. Will went on, "You are familiar with that ship, the Black Pearl?" "I've heard of it," was the man's reply as he settled himself back down. "Where does it make berth?" "Where does it make berth," Jack repeated incredulously, "Have you not heard the stories?" From the back, Ana saw Will tilt his head as an indication he had no idea what stories Jack was talking about. "Captain Barbossa and his crew of miscreants sail from the dreaded Isla de Muerta. It's an island that cannot be found except by those who already know where it is," explained Jack in an offhand manner while still situating himself to find the most comfortable part of the stone floor. Will moved closer to the cell, "The ship's real enough. Therefore its anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?" Jack studied his nails on his right hand, "Why as me?" "Because you're a pirate," came the bitter reply. "And you want to turn pirate yourself, is that it?" Anger flared in Will and he grabbed the cell door, "Never!" Ana's eyebrows went high in mild surprise. Jack shrugged his shoulders slightly and returned to positioning himself. "They took Miss Swann," Will divulged resignedly. Jack sat right up, "Oh so it is that you've found a girl! I see. Well, if you're intending to brave all, hasten to her rescue and so win fair lady's heart, you'll have to do it alone, mate. I see no profit in it for me."  
  
At this point, Ana removed herself from the shadows and stepped up to stand by Will's side. Jack's eyes widened at the sight of her. She surveyed him with squinted eyes. "He can get you out of here," she said. Deciding to ignore the fact that he had recognized her so quickly, he merely stated his doubt, "How's that? The key's run off." "I watched him help build these cells," she replied placidly.  
  
Catching on, Will continued, pointing at the door frame, "These are half- pin barrel hinges." He turned around, saying, "Excuse me," to Ana and picked up a bench that was along the wall parallel to the cell door and placed the legs in between the spaces of the bars of iron. "With the right leverage and a proper application of strength, the door will lift free."  
  
Ana threw a meaningful look at Jack, who caught it after a moment's hesitation. He looked from Ana to Will and sat up a little straighter, "What's your name?" "Will Turner." "That's short for William, I imagine. Good, strong name. No doubt named for your father, aye?" Will looked quizzically at Jack before answering slowly, "Yes."  
  
Jack made to stand up. "Aha. Well, Mr. Turner, I've changed me mind. If you spring me from this cell, I swear on pain of death, I shall take you to the Black Pearl and your bonny lass." He stuck his dirty hand out of the bars, "Do we have an accord?" Will hesitated only a second before shaking it, "Agreed." "Agreed," Jack repeated, "Get me out."  
  
Ana moved forward to help Will lift the door free. As it clanged to the side, Will commanded, "Hurry, someone will have heard that." Jack darted for his belonging that the soldier Mullroy had handed over to Commodore Norrington, "Not without my effects." Will looked skeptically at the pistol in Jack's hand, "Why bother with that? You could have escaped if you'd killed me before but you weren't willing to use it."  
  
Jack cocked the pistol and raised it level to Will's face, "Are you advising me that was a mistake?" Ana, realizing what had happened in Mr. Brown's workshop, stepped in front of the gun and lowered it slowly with her open palm pushing it downward, "Jack, when you've only got one shot it's best to wait for the opportune moment. That wasn't it. Nor is this." Jack pulled his gun away from Ana and uncocked it. They exchanged a glance before making their way up the stairs. Will, a feeling of relief and bewilderment on his face, followed them out into the daylight.  
  
Sandlover: Woot! Thank you for your kind words! You're such a sweetie! Hope your ortho appointment wasn't too painful!  
  
Pendragginink: Not to worry, I have no intention of having Ana slap Jack at all. "My sympathies, friend." Thanks for taking the time to read my story! 


	4. Commandeer: Nautical Term

Jack, trying to regain his bearings of the island, asked, "Which way's the harbor?" Ana and Will led the way with Jack swaggering closely behind.  
  
When he saw the water, he passed them and started to run to an archway under a bridge. In hot pursuit, Ana and Will followed him splashing through the water to get a good view of the Royal Navy loading their goods on the ships. Ana snorted in dislike and Will continued to eye Jack as if he had just released a madman.  
  
"What's in your head, Jack?" Ana whispered. He turned and smiled mischeiviously and turned back to look at the ships being loaded.  
  
Will swallowed hard, "We're going to steal a ship." At this, Jack turned and looked at a massive ship further out from the harbor. "That ship?" he asked, following Jack's gaze at the Dauntless. "Commandeer," Jack corrected Will, "We're going to commandeer that ship. Nautical term." He pointed at the Interceptor being loaded at the dock. Ana smiled. 'Leave it to Jack Sparrow to be dramatic about everything,' she thought. He turned to face Will directly, "One question about your business boy, or there's no use going. This girl, how far are you willing to go to save her?" "I'd die for her," was the stern response. Ana winced, 'Of all the foolish things to say.' "Oh, good," Jack replied lightheartedly, "No worries then." Will looked at the back of Jack's head suspiciously as Jack turned for one last glance at the Interceptor. 'This is going to be an experience,' Ana thought, slightly shaking her head.  
  
"Meet us when we've got it?" Jack asked Ana with one eyebrow raised. Ana looked him dead in the eye and said, "Wouldn't miss it for the world." She turned and ran away, splashing through the shallow water as she went, heading for her home.  
  
Author's Note: Sorry this is such a short chapter but the next one is going to have a lot in it and if I included it with all of the other stuff, it would have been way too much to read. Short chapters will be a rarity, I swear.  
  
Sandlover: I'm really happy about your braces. Hope it's another fun time in Glamis! Oh and ya might want to be careful with that maniacal laughter, someone might try to commit you! 


	5. Madness or Brilliance

Author's Note: I still don't own POTC, I don't make a dime off of this, and I probably never will. But Ana is mine, as is Mistress Irene and Master Grant. By the way, this chapter may have a lot of stuff going on but it all takes place in a short amount of time. I know I said this was going to be longer but I'm trying to break things up the best I can. And yes, this is supposed to be a "What the heck is she doing?!" chapter.  
  
Sandlover: "Commandeer" is such a cool word. It starts to look funny when you read it over and over again! But hey, maybe that's just me. Can't wait to read more of your story! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As she tore through Port Royal making her way from the harbor to her store, Ana tried to formulate a plan. 'How on earth am I going to get on that ship? I know there's a way but what is it?!' She continued to run at full speed through the dusty streets, ignoring the staring faces that were watching her from all sides. 'What do they matter now? I'm getting back on the water!' She made a quick left turn and almost collided with an old woman carrying a large basket of fish. "Oy! Watch where you're going, you!" she yelled after Ana who continued as fast as she could without a word of apology to the old spinster. 'Darn it, Jack,' she continued her endless train of thought, 'Why did you have to make this so complicated. She made another turn but made sure to keep closer to the wall so as not to run into any more people. When she was about three doors away from her store front, she saw six blue uniformed men, milling about looking in the windows of her shop. She skidded to a halt, 'Of course! They're loading the ship! They placed an order for provisions last week! At least they'll finally serve some purpose. Oh, this is perfect!'  
  
She tried to compose herself as she hurried over to the military men. "I'm dreadfully sorry to have kept you waiting, sirs," she replied in a honeyed voice. "What with the terrifying events of last night, I've been in a right state." A very tall soldier stepped forward and said, "That is quite alright, miss. But we are making ready the Interceptor and she is low on supplies, did you fill our order?" Ana did her best to try and look grieved, "It is my deepest regret that most of your order was destroyed last night. If you could spare me twenty minutes, sir, I will do my best to provide you with your necessities." The tall soldier nodded his head sharply. "I will put the parcels here in the entry way but I will require your payment now," Ana said, regaining her businesslike manner. A shorter blue coated soldier broke in, "What? Pay without the goods in hand? Why that's absurd business operation!" The other men, nodded and murmured in agreement.  
  
Ana looked the tall soldier that had initiated the exchange square in the eye and said in an unyielding tone, "Sir, for as long as I have been in Port Royal and provided the community with my wares, have I ever cheated the British Navy in any transactions between the fort and my shop?" The soldier looked down at her with mild consideration and replied, "Too right, miss. We shall return in twenty minutes time to retrieve our order. How many parcels will there be?" "Five," she replied hastily. "Five? We surely did not order that much." 'C'mon, Ana, think! How would Father cover this?' she thought, her mind whirring. "Oh, no certainly your company did not order that much but another did. I have an order of extra linens to go aboard the Interceptor as well." 'Whew, that's a good one.' "Very well," said the commanding officer, "We will pay you for our order now, but we cannot pay you for the second order from this other company." "No, no, sir. That order was paid before hand, in trust and good faith. There is no money due on it. It would do your shipmates well, and make you look rather committed, if it's not too bold of me to say, if you were to take back both orders."  
  
The man nodded is white-wigged head, looking anxious to show his loyalty. "Yes, yes, we will retrieve both orders shortly. But I must ask, why are you requiring payment for the goods now?" inquired the officer as he withdrew a small money purse. Ana had a reply ready, "What with all of the damage incurred by those pirates, there is much to be done in the community and help is greatly required by all. There is an elderly gentlemen a few streets over whose stockpile of wood is in complete disarray and I am in debt to him so I must go and see to his aid." "Ah, I see," was the unconcerned reply, "What was the agreed price for the order?" 'I'm wasting time,' she thought savagely. "Fifteen pounds," she barked. The soldiers jumped in unison, startled by the harshness in her voice. The tall officer continued to look unperturbed as he counted out the money from the leather pouch in his hand. "Fifteen pounds? Why so low?" Ana blushed in fury and replied through gritted teeth, "Sir, my store was ransacked in the night, I fear the quality of my wares will not be up to the usual standards." "Alright, miss, we will return shortly for our purchase," he said, placing the money in Ana's palm. "Thank you, sir. I would bring strong men, sir, the linen is of a course cloth and can be quite heavy." "Thank you, miss, we will manage. Good day." "Good day, sir."  
  
Ana rushed to let herself inside. Shutting and locking the door, she threw herself across the room, and started to grab random loaves of bread that had been scattered. She couldn't remember what the navy's order had been, but it didn't matter. She rolled two empty barrels into the middle of the room. She rummaged around her storeroom and found two old crates. 'Ok, one more barrel and that will make five,' she thought. She unlocked her door and ran out into the middle of the street. Looking both ways, she saw the glassblower's wife sweeping the steps of their shop. The woman had been one of the few citizens that were courteous to Ana whenever she came in contact with her. Ana hurried towards her, dodging loose chickens in her path. "Mistress Irene, Mistress Irene!" she called out. The paunchy woman looked up from her chore and shouted back, "Ay! What can I help ye with, young Ana?" Ana approached the woman breathless with anxiety. "Please, Mistress Irene, the Royal Navy is returning shortly to pick up an order that I do not have ready! Please say you have an empty barrel that is of no use to you!" The patriotic woman threw down her broom, "Ay, the Royal Navy! Let's see what we can do for you, child!" She hustled Ana to the back of the store, which was a mess of shattered glass in every colour imaginable. They went out the back door to a dingy alley, which still carried the stench of charred wood. Mistress Irene shoved aside some old weathered crates and revealed a slightly worse for wear barrel. "Will this do ye?" "Yes, if it has a lid!" "Here ye be, a bit dusty I'm afraid, but should suit the purpose," she said, picking up a rather dirty lid from the other side of the barrel. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Ana made to begin rolling the barrel through the store. "No, no, heaven's no, child. We can't have none of that. Let me get my husband." Ana straightened herself, expecting to have to wait for both the glassblower and his wife to return to the alley. Instead of going to look for her husband, however, Mistress Irene opened her wide mouth and bellowed, "GRANT ANDERSON! WHERE ARE YE? COME AND HELP A YOUNG LADY!" She turned and looked at Ana, "He'll be here shortly, dear." Ana smiled weakly, thinking that her ringing ears would never hear properly again.  
  
Through the back door of the glass shop came a burly man with a mass of blonde curls on his head. "What are ye hollering on about, ye old nag?" he grumbled as he scuffed out into the alley. "Watch yer mouth around Ana, ye dirty bat. She needs this barrel to fill an order and I don't want her rolling it like a farmhand. Carry it for her to her shop." "Please, Master Grant, it would be most appreciated," pleaded Ana. Grant Anderson looked at her and said, "Eh, how could I refuse that pretty face? Come along, girl, you'll have your barrel." Ana smiled in relief and thanked them both. Master Grant relieved himself of the barrel at the door of Ana's domain. "Many thanks, sir," Ana bowed. "Consider it nothing, if you've got some of those sweet apples around, eh?" he hinted hopefully. Ana said with honest regret, "I'm sorry, Master Grant, but they were stolen when we were invaded." The well-aged man looked disappointed, "Dirty pirates, ruining the dwellings of those that make an honest living." Before Ana's temper flared up, she offered him some sweet buttermilk she had seen in her storeroom. "Ay, that would be a right pep up, that would," agreed Mr. Anderson. Ana hurried inside and grabbed the red clay jug. She pushed it into the man's calloused hands. "You mean to give me the whole thing, girl?" he asked, eyes wide. "To you and your wife, for the kindness you have shown me, sir." "Ay, you're a good girl, Ana. God bless ye." "And you, Master Grant," she said gently as she watched the good man hurry away with the red jug under his arm.  
  
She left the empty barrel and it's lid outside her doorway. She finished packing random baked goods and dried fruits and nuts into one barrel and the crates inside, leaving one barrel empty. She pushed the filled parcels out and closed them properly, moving them to the side of the street so that they were in front of the broken window instead of blocking the door. She had only a few more minutes to spare. She took to the stares two at a time. She ran to her linen cupboards and found the course white tablecloths she used to cover her counters in the wintertime. Rolling them up and clutching them under her arm, she grabbed the blankets that had been on her bed only two nights before. She collected all of her savings including the payment of the navy she had just received into a small purse. She also pulled out her dresser drawers and balled up some extra garments she knew she would need before the venture was through. Along with her weaponry, she dashed back down the stairs and threw most of the linens into the empty barrel that was still inside, keeping only two tablecloths aside. She closed it and moved it outside to stand by the others. She threw her belongings into the bottom of the empty barrel but kept the tablecloths out for further use. Looking at the barrels, she thought, 'Yes, they would be nosy enough. Better label them.' She tore back to her damaged counter and found a piece of red chalk lying precariously on the edge, close to rolling off and shattering on the floor. She grabbed it and ran back outside. She labeled each parcel with what it contained, writing "textile" on the barrel that held the blankets and tablecloths and on the one that held her belongings. She threw the chalk aside and closed the door of her shop. She took one last look at her sign hanging by a single hinge above the door and turned her back on the building.  
  
Looking in every direction down the street, she took hold of the tablecloths and bunched them around her neck and shoulders. She grasped the dusty lid in her hand, stood on one of the crates labeled "dry goods," and climbed into the half empty barrel. Crouching down, she pulled the lid tightly onto the barrel, concealing her from view and pulled the cloth over her head, covering her dark hair. In her cramped quarters, she waited for the soldiers of the British Navy to return. 


	6. Fighting Fair

Author's Note: I still don't own anything Disney. It would be pretty cool if I owned the Haunted Mansion ride though. I'd love to live in there!!! But sadly, I'm just a strange little college girl without a dime to her name and too much time on her hands. Hence this reeeaaaallllyyy long chapter!  
  
Ana's legs were starting to fall asleep from her uncomfortable position inside the barrel when she heard the Interceptor crew returning. 'About time,' she thought, 'Lord, they walk loud enough to wake the dead.' Sure enough, the six men who had returned to retrieve the orders were actually a long ways down the street when Ana heard them first approaching. When they finally reached her, they stood lingering around the five containers. She could feel her temper rising and she put a hand over her mouth to keep from shouting at them. 'If they don't hurry up and take these damn things, Jack will have that ship before I'm on it!'  
  
"Should we check to make sure this is our order?" asked a high pitched voice. Ana giggled silently, 'Some soldier, he sounds just like a little girl!' "She said there would be five parcels and there are five here," said a gruff voice from directly above her, "They're all labeled. These two here must be that second order." Ana heard a thump before feeling the soldier kick her barrel with his boot. "But if you feel it necessary, open them," continued the soldier. Ana crossed her fingers under the tablecloths that were covering her.  
  
She could hear the shifting and prying of wood beside her. "Here's our order. Packaged a bit muddled, isn't it?" asked the same high voice. "She did say she would hurry it along," grunted another. "And what about those?" asked a fourth masculine voice. Ana could feel the presence of legs around her, even through the wood. Silently praying, she gripped the tablecloths as hard as she could until her knuckles turned white. She heard the lid of her barrel pop off and felt the coolness of the fresh air flow inside. "Yessir, textiles, just as it's labeled here," said the gruff voice. Ana heaved a sigh of relief as she heard the lid being replaced above her head. "Best be making way then," she heard the girl voice again.  
  
Suddenly, she felt the world leave from under her and a pair of strong arms hoisted her hiding spot into the air. "Oy, this one is a heavy lot!" exclaimed a husky voice. "She did say the linens would be a heavy load. Can you manage it, Morrison?" "Aye, but wouldn't it be easier to roll it, sir?" 'Oh no, please don't,' Ana thought, 'I don't get seasick, but goodness knows I wouldn't be able to keep my supper if you roll this barrel!' To her relief, the idea was scrapped. Instead, she felt another pair of hands take the bottom of the barrel that Morrison was grasping and tipped it sideways, and Ana was suddenly curled up on her side. 'Well, isn't this interesting?' she thought irritably 'You big sea meddlers had better get a move on or I'll miss my ship!'  
  
After a period that felt like an eternity, she heard the Navy men's boots hit a wooden path. 'We must be at the harbor finally,' she thought. She heard the voice of the commanding officer that had paid her that very afternoon, "Go on and put those on board, men. In the galley." "What of these things, sir?" asked the second man that was helping to carry Ana's barrel. "Put them there, too. It can be sorted out on the water." 'Joy, the galley,' Ana thought, 'Will I ever get myself out of a kitchen?'  
  
Her bearers walked up a plank and she could hear the hollow sound of their steps on the deck. She was bounced around inside the barrel as she was carried down some stairs. She was set down hard on the ship's deck, left to listen to the fading steps of the men that had carried her all the way from her shop. Ana ached with longing to stretch and regain her sea legs. She was rapidly losing feeling in her limbs from remaining in such an awkward position. She could feel the sway of the Interceptor though, and it gave her a peace of mind that she hadn't experienced in many years. Breaking through her thoughts, she heard the sounds of shuffling and yelling. 'I guess it's begun.'  
  
She could hear many feet running around the ship, and suddenly, the ship lurched. 'We're moving,' she thought anxiously, 'Oh, Jack, I really hope you know what you're doing.' She could tell they were moving at a rapid pace, 'Hmm, maybe this ship really is one of the fastest in the Caribbean.' The commotion was getting louder. She felt the ship's body glide to a halt. She didn't understand what was happening, but she had faith in Jack and she knew she just had to be patient.  
  
It seemed like she was stuck in her barrel for years. Suddenly, the ship began to move again and she knew in her heart that Jack had won. She heard a crunching noise of wood splintering somewhere deep beneath her and she was startled. Just to be safe, she stayed in her hiding place for a few more minutes. It was eerily quiet in her surroundings when she lifted herself out of the wooden barrel. She looked around the well-furnished galley before heading up the stairs that lead up to the open deck.  
  
She sighed as she breathed in the salty air. Looking around, she saw Captain Sparrow at the ship's helm, examining his compass. To his right, Will seemed to be trying to repair some nicks in the ship's wood. Striding over to them, she saw both men were wet to the skin and she asked of Jack, "Do I even want to know how you managed it?" Jack grinned slyly and replied, "Ask me no questions and I'll tell ye no lies, love." Will walked over to her and asked, "And you? How is that no one saw you?" Ana shrugged and said simply, "The Navy likes to have their bread." Will looked baffled at this answer and turned away to sit on another barrel that had been left on the upper deck.  
  
A few hours had passed since the commandeering of the Interceptor. The time was spent getting to know the ship and Ana collected her belongings and stored them in a safer place while also familiarizing herself with the galley and organizing the goods that had been brought on board from her shop. It wasn't much, but it would last them until they docked. As she had learned her way around the galley, she thought, 'Kitchens, story of my life,' as she shook her head. She returned to the open air with a wide smile on her face. She saw the nicks in the wood that Mr. Turner had been unsuccessful at repairing. She disappeared below deck for a few moments and returned with a rag, a bucket of water, and a gas lamp. Jack saw these things in her hand and called to her from the helm, "What are you planning to do there?" "Undo the damage that one of you two mischief makers made!" Will looked taken aback at this and Ana assumed it was he who had hacked into the wood.  
  
Again Ana found herself crouching low as she worked diligently on the scarred wood, first applying the oil from the lamp and then wiping it down with the water. Jack still stood at the helm of the ship with his arms draped carelessly across the wheel. Will was sharpening his sword a short distance away. It was he who broke the silence.  
  
"When I was a lad living in England, my mother raised me by herself. After she died, I came out here, looking for my father."  
"Is that so?" Jack replied, sounding rather bored.  
Will pressed on, "My father, Will Turner. And in the jail it was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help. Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter. I'm not a simpleton, Jack. You knew my father." He stood up and looked severely at Jack.  
Jack turned around to face him, "I knew 'im. Probably one of the few who knew him as William Turner. Everyone else called him Bootstrap or Bootstrap Bill."  
Again Will looked bewildered, "Bootstrap?"  
Jack slipped a rope around the helm to keep the ship on course, "Good man, good pirate. I swear you look just like him." At this, Ana stood up and turned to watch the two men. 'I really hope this doesn't turn into a row," she thought. 'But Jack's right, he really does look like him.'  
"It's not true, he was a merchant sailor; a good, respectable man who obeyed the law," was Will's argument. 'Is that what you've been told,' Ana wondered. She approached the men but stayed in the background so as to be able to keep from having to speak.  
Jack countered, "He was a bloody pirate, a scallywag."  
"My father was not a pirate," Will said through gritted teeth, drawing his sword.  
Jack had turned away from him, but he still knew what he was doing, "Put it away, son. It's not worth you getting beat again." Ana wanted to laugh but thought better of it.  
"You didn't beat me; you ignored the ruled of engagement. in a fair fight, I'd kill you." Will sounded like a young child determined to get his way.  
"Then that's no incentive for me to fight fair then, is it?" Jack grabbed hold of the helm and turned it sharply, causing a low rigging to swing to the opposite side of the boat. As the rigging swung across the deck, Ana bent over calmly, letting it pass smoothly over her head. Will, however, was not so graceful; the rigging caught him full in the middle, pushing him off his feet and dangling him over the ocean water. He struggled to get a tight grip around the broad wood. Ana, somewhat startled by Jack's action, stepped up beside the captain. Jack however looked undisturbed.  
"Now as long as you're just hanging there, pay attention. The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do. For instance, you can accept your father was a pirate and a good man or you can't. But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday. And me for example, I could let you drown. But I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all be me onesie, savvy? So..." Jack swung the helm again bringing the rigging back into its original position and letting Will fall to the deck. Jack stood over him with the point of Will's sword aimed at the young man's throat, "Can you sail under the command of a pirate," Jack flipped the sword, offering the hilt to Will, "Or can you not?" Ana went to Will's side and grabbed his wrists. Jack smiled smugly, "Tortuga." Ana heaved with all the force she could muster and pulled Will to his feet.  
  
Later that evening, when the ocean was quite calm and there was only a very slight breeze to push the ship along its course, Ana found Will staring out at the glassy water. She stepped beside him and asked, "What ails you, Master Turner?" She still had not lost the decorum of her speech, nor the respect for the man who stood beside her. He might have an ungodly hatred for pirates but he had a good heart, that much was clear to her.  
Without looking at her, he mumbled something about his father and Jack. "Please speak up, Master Turner, I couldn't hear your grumbling self- pity," she said teasingly. He finally turned to look at her. "Would you have me call you 'Miss Ana' for the rest of your life?" he asked. "Heavens, no. Ana isn't my full name anyways, but it will most certainly do. But that's not the subject tonight," she answered bitterly. "Nor would I have you call me 'Master Turner," was the sullen reply. Ana sighed, she could tell this was going to be a long night. "Alright then, Will, what darkens your thoughts?" she inquired again. "Why would he not say anything about knowing him?" Ana didn't have to ask who or what he was talking about. "Would you have freed him from that cell if he had come out directly and said you were the son of a pirate? From those angry words earlier, I would go so far as to guess you would leave him to rot there." He nodded his head slightly, indicating that he understood her words. "But to keep that from a man..." his voice trailed off into the night breeze.  
  
Ana sighed more deeply and turned her back on the ocean. "If you want to talk about a fair fight, then you should not harbor all of your anger for Jack. I knew your father, too, and I have known you for quite a longer time than he has." Will turned around sharply, a look of utter distrust on his face, "You knew William Turner. How?" Ana breathed in slowly. "Come down to the galley, Will Turner. I'll give you something to eat and answer what you ask.," and once again, Ana led the way, leaving Will no choice but to follow. 


	7. Good Man, Good Pirate

Author's note: Hehe, nice little cliffhanger there huh?! Well, here's what you've been wondering, I still don't own POTC, but I do own Ana and all of the attitude that comes with her. Isn't that nice?  
  
Ana led Will to a long table that filled the center of the ship's kitchen area. She motioned for him to sit down, which he did so heavily, it sounded like the bench would break. "Ah, your bottom is heavy like your heart," Ana said, trying anything to make him smile even slightly as she moved around the galley putting together a small supper for the brooding man sitting there. He did not crack a smile, not even the slightest glimmer of a grin, and Ana gave up the conversation for the time being. After setting a plate of sliced bread and butter in front of him, she made for the crates that looked as if they contained dried meats. 'They take mighty good care of themselves, the Navy, don't they,' she thought to herself. She took out a piece of cheesecloth and unwound it. Inside, there were four strips of thick dried beef. She carried these over to the table and put them on Will's bread plate. He hadn't touched a bit. "Eat up," she said in a commanding manner. He looked at the plate, then at Ana, then back at the plate, skeptically. "Oh, for heaven's sake, you saw me prepare everything. I'm not going to poison you," she said, hands on her hips. Will looked down and mumbled, "Drink." "Not with those manners!" Will looked up and said clearly, "Drink, please." "That's more like it," Ana nodded approvingly. She grabbed a tankard and filled with ale and set it on the table beside his plate, "There, now eat," and she sat down opposite him.  
  
Reluctantly, Will picked up a slice of bread, ripped off a smaller chunk and popped it in his mouth. 'Well, that's a start,' thought Ana. Will nodded at her. He wanted to hear what she had to say. Now that it had come to it, Ana was unsure of where to begin. She reached across the table, picked up Will's tankard of ale, took a swig and then took a deep breath. She gently replaced the mug on the table before launching into her story,  
  
"I, unlike you, always knew my father was a pirate. Your father and mine were in the same crew, under the same captain. We're in the same ship in more ways than one, you and I. Both your father and mine were good men. Jack was telling the truth when he said that..."  
At that moment, Jack came down into the galley, "A word, lass." "When I'm done talking, Cap'n," Ana replied curtly. Jack looked at her intently, "I mean now, Ana." Ana slammed her hand down on the table and stood up, "Fine! What do you want?" "Come with me, I wish to speak to you alone," and with that, he went back up to the deck. "I wish to speak to you alone," Ana mimicked him. She shrugged her shoulders, looked at Will and said, "I'll be back. Eat something in the mean time."  
  
Up on the deck, Jack had resumed his lazy position at the helm with his arms draped languidly. "And what's so important, Jack?" Ana demanded. Jack pulled himself upright and went to her, "Love, don't tell him anymore than you have to." "And how should I know how much that is?" she challenged. "You'll know," was the simple reply. "Will I?" she asked fiercely. "And what if I don't?" "You're a smart girl, Ana, you'll know. Tell him nothing of how his father died, nor of our intentions." "But Jack, I don't even know your intentions," she said in an exasperated voice. "You will," he said, glancing towards the area of the galley. "Jack," Ana said warningly, "If you tell Barbossa about Will in exchange for a ship, you are not the man I ever thought you to be." "I have no intention of telling Barbossa about bloody Will, alright?" Jack was getting frustrated. "Can I have your word on that?" Ana implored. "Yes, yes, you have my word, but I need your word that you will only tell him what you think he needs to know," Jack alleged. "You have my word, Jack. No more than what he needs to know at the moment," Ana gave Jack a quick hug and hurried back down to Will.  
  
"I'm sorry about that, he really is so demanding," she said in a quick breath as she resumed her seat across the table from Will. Mid-chew, Will asked, "What'd he want?" Ana thought fast, "To tell me I would have to replenish any provisions the ship would need when we dock." She felt a pang of guilt at lying to him so blatantly but thought Jack would approve. Surely the conversation they had just held was not something he needed to know.  
  
"What's your name?" Will asked abruptly. "Ana," was the automatic reply. "You said that wasn't your real name a while ago." "Ana isn't my birth name. It's just a common name. Like you going by Will." "Then what is your birth name?" Will inquired, looking at her with interest. "Gloriana," she replied stiffly. "Gloriana," he repeated, "That's pretty. How did you come to be named that?" Ana looked towards his tankard and noticed that half of the liquid was gone. She smiled inwardly, thinking, 'The boy can't take his ale!' "I was named for my father. His name was Gloriani, but everyone just called him Old Glory. He wasn't that old, but he was wise. He could figure things out faster when others couldn't. He and your father were good friends."  
Will looked taken aback. With an unsure look on his face, he asked, "How?" "I told you they were in the same crew under the same captain." Ana hesitated before going on, 'I guess I can go on, I just don't have to tell the whole story.' "They were both part of Jack's crew. Jack was quite attached to them. More so than the other crew members. That caused some jealousy amongst them. When my father married my mother and set out on his own, with Jack's blessing, it caused a lot of bitterness amongst the remaining crew members," she paused to take a crust from Will's bread and popped it in her mouth.  
"If your father left the crew to be with your mother...I don't understand where you're coming from," Will said. "You don't want to hear my story, Will Turner, you asked for your own, and that is what I want to tell you," Ana said placidly. "No, I asked, and I want to understand. It's not like we haven't got the time." "True," she said, and she stood up and took Will's mug to be refilled.  
Sitting back down she passed the replenished ale to him and asked, "What is it you are curious about?" "You," was the simple Jack-like answer. "Which part of me?" "Who you are." Ana growled softly. "You aren't making this any easier." "Fine," Will said, sipping his drink, "Who your family is and how you came to be in Port Royal all on your own." Ana looked down quickly raising her eyes again to his. "You do want a tale, don't you? Certainly there is something else," she said, trying to sound lighthearted. He just looked at her. "Very well," she said, giving in.  
"I told you my father was in Jack's crew. When he made it known that he intended to marry my mother, Jack gave him his blessing as well as a ship. That ship caused much turbulence in the remaining crew members, except for your father. It was a ship they had just attained and Jack bestowed it upon my mother and father as a wedding present so they could begin their lives the 'proper way' as he put it. That ship was everything. They changed the name of it to Old Glory after my father, it was truly his ship. And it became their home. My father was still in contact with Jack and they would often meet up at different ports accidentally, and he would also see your father with him. That was how I met him actually, when they chanced to meet at the same port. Both my father's and Jack's crews ended up attempting to sack the same port and I met your father during that raid, even though I saw him some times after. My father left the port to Jack's crew and went elsewhere. My father was loyal to Jack. He never quit the pirate life. When I was born, I was raised into it. I was taught everything about the running of a ship and the Code and how to get away with things. Life was so free. The ship wasn't home, the sea was. But home isn't always safe."  
She paused, viewing the vivid memories replaying in her mind. "My parents had another child after me, Antony, my brother. I was four when he was born. He learned the same things that I did growing up. Years later, when I was eleven and he was seven, our ship was attacked. There were only a few of us on board, my family and a small crew that sailed with my father to keep the ship in proper order. We were overrun by pirates, the same pirates that had been so ill willed against my father receiving the ship. They killed everyone on board, except for my brother and I," she paused for a deep sigh before continuing.  
"Everyone was rushing and fighting on deck, I took my brother and hid behind the steps that lead to the upper deck. My mother came running towards us, yelling for us to hide inside, and they shot her. The cold- blooded devils shot her down in front of my brother and I. My father saw what happened and rushed for her, he was shot dead too. The men just looked at Antony and I with cruel smiles and left us alone. They took very few things before leaving the ship. We managed to get the ship to Tortuga on our own, but I knew we couldn't keep sailing, just the two of us. So I took most of the money my parents had and paid for our ship to be kept in the shipyard on the outer portion of the bay. As far as I know it should still be there. Antony and I stayed in Tortuga for about a year before deciding it was not the safest place for us. I booked my brother a passage to a small port in Italy where he would become an apprentice, a black smith's apprentice as it were," she smiled half-heartedly at Will, "And I was to send myself to the newer settlements."  
Suddenly, tears sprang to her eyes, "I was working in a tavern in Tortuga when word reached me of just how treacherous those pirates had become. I heard word of your father's death but what came to me even worse was the ransacking of a small port in Italy where none had been left alive, save a few women. They had killed my brother. Tales abounded about other deeds they had done. I left Tortuga with a heavy heart. I arrived in Port Royal after you did. I took my small savings and opened my shop in hopes I could return and get my father's ship back. I'm not a land person. When I lost my family, I was barely a person at all," the tears were streaming down her cheeks.  
"You are a good man, Master Turner. You are just like your father. He was a good pirate, and a good man, it's true." Will looked at her thoughtfully, through the fog the ale had put him in. She turned away from him, wiping her eyes. "I know how it is to be attached to someone, Will," she said turning back and looking him earnestly in the face. "I know the feeling of being willing to go to the ends of the world for the ones you care about. You'll get her back, Will. You'll get her back. You may have lost your mother and father too, but I will do all I can to keep you from losing everything like I did." And with that, she stood up and ran from the galley. 


	8. It's a Start

Author's Note: Nope, still no copyrights for POTC in my possession.  
  
Sandlover: It was hard coming up with her tragic life, I knew I wanted it to be sad, but not so sad that she was just a ball of depression. I think I did ok! ( Thanks for being my faithful reviewer! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --  
  
It was obvious to Jack and Will that Ana had not gotten much sleep the night before. Her eyes were puffy and red and had an empty look to them. Jack knew better than to question it but Will was deeply concerned for her. "Are you alright?" he asked, approaching her in the galley as she was searching for something to feed them for breakfast. "Fine," was the short reply. Will decided to leave her be.  
  
After the men had left the galley after their breakfast of dried fruit and a bit of water, Ana found her scarce belongings and decided to change her clothing. It was grimy from nervous sweat and dust from sitting in the barrel the morning before. She unfolded a course gray bodice and brown overskirt, before searching for her chemise. As she reached for a faded black one, something shiny fell out of the folds and dropped to the ship's planks. Ana bent over to pick it up and was struck speechless. Lying on the dark wood, was a gold ring with a small bit of silver protruding at one side. She laid it in the palm of her hand to examine it more closely, a small smile playing on her lips. The bit of silver was a small rose, the flower that shared its name with her mother. She traced one finger around the band, remembering how she had admired this ring on her mother's hand when she was a child. She had removed it before she and her brother had sent their parents' bodies into the ocean's depths but she had never felt the right to wear it. Now, however, she slipped it onto her own finger, trying to imagine how her mother must have felt when her father had put it on hers on their wedding day.  
  
Realizing she still had not dressed, she slipped hurriedly out of her dirty clothes and into the cleaner ones. She balled up the grubby garments and put them into the empty barrel she had snuck on the ship in. Taking one last moment of solitude to examine the ring again, she hurried up to where Jack and Will were watching the ocean's waves.  
  
"Are we making good time?" she asked Jack. "Good time, yes. We'll be there by evening, I expect," he said as if the matter were of little importance compared to the feeling of being in charge of a ship again. "Did you sleep any?" she turned and asked of Will who was absentmindedly playing with a pulley over his head. "Some, though not very comfortably. Doesn't look like you had much either," he said, daring to try and broach the subject. "I'm fine," she said in the same steely manner she had used that morning. She turned back to Jack, "Were you up here all night, Jack?" "You think I wouldn't take advantage of this, love?" he asked playfully. "Go and rest, Jack. She's steady on her course, isn't she?" Jack nodded. Ana put one hand on her hip, "Then I want you, Jack Sparrow, to go to the captain's quarters and have a lie down. I'll come and get you when the sun starts to sink." Jack saluted her, "Aye aye, my lady."  
  
Ana shook her head slowly as she watched Jack disappear down the steps. "Sharp of you to bring a second dress. Must be nice," said Will, peering through his wind swept hair. "Bet you wish you had done the same?" Ana smiled. 'As long as he doesn't want to bring up what we talked about last night, I'll be fine,' she thought. It seemed Will was thinking along the same lines, because although he noticed her pale face and heavy eyes, he made no mention of her appearance. "Would you at least like to tie your hair back?" she asked. "That would be good," he said as he struggled to keep the loose strands from being blown about by the sea air. Ana went back into the galley, thinking, 'I'm spending way to much time in this place,' grabbed the strip of cloth that had wrapped the dried meat she had given Will the night before and brought it back up to him. She shook it out and handed it to him. He nodded his thanks and did his best to control his flapping hair. He wasn't very successful but it was better than nothing.  
  
The day passed uneventfully with Ana and Will questioning each other about their life in Port Royal.  
"How is it that you always let your master, that drunken Mr. Brown, take credit for your craftsmanship?" Ana asked, sitting comfortably on the ship's deck with one arm through the helm to keep the ship on course.  
"How did you know...?" Will looked stunned.  
Ana wanted to laugh out loud. "I always heard someone hard at work, banging and clanging in that workshop, even when Master Brown was down at the pub. Not to mention I'd see you covered head to toe in soot at the end of the day. A simple apprentice wouldn't get that dirty, no matter how bad he was." Will smiled sheepishly, "They wouldn't believe I had done it." "I bet they would, if anyone cared to see what the working class did in Port Royal. I've seen your work, it's very beautiful. You should be proud." "Thank you. How is it that you came to have a shop such as yours? Two goods in one?" he inquired. "Oh, that. Well, I was taught those talents when I was young. They both came naturally to me and I figured if I failed at one in Port Royal, I'd at least have another to fall back on." "Smart plan." "Thank you." And so they passed the time with idle conversation until the sun started to burn a bright orange in the Caribbean sky. "Guess I should go and get Jack, ay?" she asked, looking at the stunning sunset. "You said you would," Will reminded her. "Aye, that I did," she said as she struggled to get to her feet. "Would you do me a favor, Master Turner?" Will cocked his head in a reproving tilt. "Ok, ok, Will, could I ask a favor of you?" He raised himself to his full height, "Yes, if I can manage it." Ana laughed. "Oh, I don't know then, it's very difficult, this. I am going to need you to stand here and make sure the ship doesn't take a course of her own. Can you handle keeping a grip on the helm in this gusty weather?" she looked around in mock concern at the still atmosphere. "Hmm, that does sound a bit difficult, but I dare say I can manage it," Will returned in mock determination. Ana was still laughing as she approached Jack's door. From inside she could hear the deeply satisfied snores of one who is in such a deep sleep that a simple knock on the door would not rouse them. Ana knocked, though, not expecting an answer, before opening the door. Jack was sprawled out on his stomach, his limbs reaching for each corner of the fancy bed. "Jack!" Ana said loudly. A grunting snore was all she received in reply. She stepped up to the side of the bed and said even more loudly, "JACK!" This time, Jack raised his arm and dropped it, signaling that he would either be up in a few minutes or for her to go away, Ana didn't know how to interpret it. Growing impatient, she grabbed the pillow that Jack had buried his face in, yanked it out from under his head so his nose went smashing into the mattress, threw it back on top of his head and shouted, "JACK SPARROW!" Jack, startled, sat right up and yelled back incoherently, "CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW!" One hand on her hip, Ana looked down at the disheveled man and said, "Captain or not, you will not be lying there until the second coming." "Second coming of what?" Jack asked in confusion. "Oh, never mind, just get up," Ana said as she grabbed his arms and started to pull. He got to his feet, grabbed his hat from the table beside the bed, and swaggered to the door. He put his hat on his head, tipped it towards Ana and walked out. Ana growled quietly in annoyance but she couldn't helped but grin at his cheekiness.  
  
Back on the upper deck, Jack had taken over from Will who had gone back to simply staring at the waves. "Never gets old does it?" Ana asked with a small bit of satisfaction. "At least it's always changing," he answered. Ana walked to Jack and asked, "How long until we arrive?" "Not long, love, look," he said as he pointed to a dark spot on the horizon. "Tortuga?" she asked. "A bit of the outer cove," he nodded. Ana returned to stand by Will but faced the dark fleck on the horizon, watching it grow bigger as they approached.  
  
The sun had fully set when they docked in Tortuga and the dark sky was littered with stars. Walking out of the seaport, Ana begged Jack to let her go and see her father's ship. "Please, Jack, I won't be long. I just need to see it, just to be sure it's still here." After much begging and pleading he finally agreed that they would all go to the holding docks so Ana could see the Old Glory. Sure enough, the ship was tied in the outer part of the shipyard and Ana's heart leaped with joy at the sight of it. The sight of the tall masts caused her to forget herself and she ran full speed to the pier that ran parallel along its side. She stood half way down its length looking up with longing at the boat. A harbormaster approached her and the two men that had followed her. He, too, looked at the ship but with a kind of melancholy playing on his face. "Beautiful, isn't she?" he asked. Ana smiled and nodded. "Bit of a shame, really," he continued. "Shame? Why?" she looked worried. "Our storing rates raised about three years ago and the poor girl who left this ship left no way to contact her so the money she deposited for its keeping 'as run out. It's in the possession of the wharf now." All the color from Ana's face drained, "Is there no way she can get it back?" "Oh, I'm sure there's a way but it will take a long time and a lot of money to convince the possessor. Shame, really, there's still a lot of life left in it." "How much would it be to get it back in personal possession?" Will asked. "More than my life is worth, I imagine," he said chuckling, "A ship like that won't be let go of too easily." "No, I don't imagine it would," Ana said quietly, her insides on fire. "But now, was there anything, you'd be wanting here tonight?" the harbormaster asked. "Yes, I'd be wanting my ship back!" Ana finally exploded. "Your..." he trailed off, realization dawning on his lined face. "Now, girl, you had better start saving your earnings, it'll be a while before you can buy it back. But it's not going anywhere." "It better not," she growled, "Who's in charge of the deposits of regaining the contracted ships?" The harbormaster swallowed, "That would be I." Ana reached into her bodice and withdrew a dark leather pouch. She thrust her hand in and pulled out several large gold coins. "Take this, and put it into my account as a notice that I intend to once again own this vessel," she instructed as she forced the currency into the man's hand. "V-v-v-very well, lass, I'll do that," he stuttered in stress. "Be sure every coin is accounted for," she ordered. "Y-y-yes ma'am," he said. Ana could hardly contain her emotions. She didn't wait for her two companions but marched right back down the pier and into the outskirts of Tortuga. "Are you alright, love?" Jack eyed Ana with concern. "I'm fine," she answered shortly. In truth, it was hard for her to focus on any one thing she was thinking or feeling as she studied her mother's ring on her hand. "I will get it back," she said through gritted teeth. "Of course, you will," Jack said soothingly and Will nodded, "You've put down a payment and that's a start." Ana thought about this and said, "Yes, you're right, and as long as I've got a start, I've got something, ay?" The two men nodded. Ana drew herself up and squared her shoulders, "Come along, gentlemen, I daresay Tortuga is awaiting us." She linked arms with both men and steered them further into the town. 


	9. Use Your Assets

Disclaimer: No copyrights here. All the really good characters are owned by Disney. I only own Ana. Guess that will have to do. Yay! I'm at my favorite part!  
  
As they approached the roughest part of the city, Ana's spirits lifted. It was exactly as she remembered it. It was a bustle of activity, with gunshots being fired and the smoke from the powder drifting into the air in every direction and dirty, sweaty men swaggering through the streets with tankards of ale and stale cigars. All these aromas hung in the atmosphere creating the unique aroma of Tortuga. Ana breathed it in deeply. "It's really something, isn't it, Will? You'll never experience anything quite like it," she said. Will looked around in mild indecision. "More importantly, it is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep the sweet proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga, savvy? What do you think?" Jack added, sniffing the air and attaining a cane from a passing drunk and waving it around his vicinity. Will cocked one eyebrow and answered, "It'll linger." Ana laughed. 'He couldn't have spoken more truthfully,' she thought.  
"I'll tell you mate, if every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted," Jack provided. A woman with tousled red hair and a dress that would have cut off circulation in any other woman approached the captain. "Scarlet!" he exclaimed delightedly. He received a sharp slap across the face. The woman marched away. "Not sure I deserved that," Jack said to his companions, moving his cheek muscles. Ana thought, 'It's more likely you did.' A smaller blonde approached the trio, one hand on her hip, "Who was she?" "Wha...?" She didn't wait for Jack to finish his reply but slapped him fully in the face and marched away just as her forerunner had done. Jack massaged his cheek, "I may have deserved that." 'I'm almost certain,' Ana thought ruefully.  
"Well now that you're done meeting your welcoming committee, let's get started on why we're here," Ana declared. "Yes," Will nodded eagerly. "What's the hurry, lass?" Jack asked as he watched a voluptuous brunette walk by on the arm of an old seafarer. "Do you really want to reminisce of old times with the rest of that lot?" Ana nodded her head towards the outside wall of a tavern, by which a group of vindictive women had congregated and were eyeing Jack Sparrow with merciless eyes. "Too right, love. Best be off," and he made a leap and hurried down the street.  
  
Jack led them to a well, one that was not currently being used to dunk a heavy balding man as the first one they had seen had been. Jack said, "Two buckets, love." "Please," she reminded him. "Please," he said dramatically. Ana picked up two wooden pails and filled them with cool water and handed one each to her male companions. "Now that's not what I was after..." Jack started but Ana cut him off, "I get the water, you two carry it. It's a fair deal." The two men shrugged and Jack began to lead them to a quieter alley.  
"Where are we going?" Ana asked. "Shh!" Jack reprimanded. She scowled, 'Don't you 'shh' me, Jack Sparrow. Goodness knows it wouldn't work if I did the same to you.' They approached a shabby lean-to from the back. They could hear grunting snores coming through the thin wood. Walking around the shed, Ana's eyes nearly popped out. "It can't be!" she whispered. Surely this was not the man she had befriended while working in Tortuga some six years ago. This man was filthy, and sleeping with pigs no less. 'He's completely the opposite from when I left and I can't tell yet whether it's for better or worse,' she thought. Suddenly, Jack splashed the contents of his bucket onto the sleeping figure. Gibbs awoke with a start, drawing his pistol from his belt, "Curse you for breathing you slack jawed idiot!" His eyes focused and recognition appeared on his face. "Mother's love! Jack! You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. 'S bad luck." Jack went to kneel by him, "Ah, fortunately I know how to counter it. The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking." Gibbs sat still, chewing these words over in his mind, and Ana stifled a giggle, 'I bet he didn't get more than the man who did the waking is going to buy him a drink.' He looked up at her, his attention drawn by the sound of her muffled laughter and said, "Aye, that'll about do it." Jack grabbed his friend's arm and pulled him to his feet. When Gibbs was fully erect, he was surprised again, this time by a splash of water from Will. Drenched from head to toe, he shouted, "Blast! I'm already awake!" Will looked confident and replied, "That was for the smell." His two companions nodded in agreement and Gibbs could find no error in the statement.  
  
As they walked away from the lean-to, Gibbs turned and sized up Ana. "How you've grown girl. What's become of ye?" he asked. "I've been in Port Royal since I left. No traveling since a few days ago," she answered. "That so? Doesn't seem like it would suit ye," he said. "Believe me, it doesn't," she replied darkly.  
They walked into a shifty looking tavern, Jack's choice. He pointed to a secluded table in a small room to the side of the bar. Gibbs took off to sit down. Ana stood in the entryway looking around mildly. This was the last place she had worked. It was a place without morals, for the lowest of the ladies of the night and the already drunk, it had no shame in hiring a thirteen year old girl to wash glasses and pour ale. The familiar sight of the place did nothing to stir any fondness inside Ana. It had paid well, but the conditions had been miserable. She was relieved she was not back to stay.  
Jack came back with two mugs, one fairly larger than the other. Ana had no doubt whose was whose. Jack nodded for them to follow. As he was about to enter the room to join Gibbs he turned around to Ana and Will and said, "Keep a sharp eye." Ana nodded and positioned herself on one side of the doorway. Will took his cue from her and stood on the opposite side. It was amusing to see the goings on again. Men chasing women, women chasing men, men fighting men over the women. 'At least it's constant,' Ana thought. Ana heard Gibbs choking on his drink and turned her head slightly, but she still couldn't hear what was being said. 'I guess he's just learned of Jack's plan.' Just then, a hefty wench approached Will. He looked down at her toothless smile unsure of what to do. She had a tankard of ale and was sloshing it down her front as she bumped up against him. Will still didn't know how to react. Ana sighed and decided to rescue him before the big woman plowed him to the floor. "Excuse me, ma'am," she said politely but loud enough for the intoxicated woman to hear her. The wench looked at her as if she just realized she was there. "Watchoo won?" she slurred. Ana went nearer, "That lad over there has been eyeing you for as long I've been watching. Seems like he'd pay some bucksome wages for a chance to be graced with your company," she said, pointing to a man that was sloshing his own drink down his front, talking to himself. He more than likely did not even know the woman was in the tavern but that didn't matter, so long as she left Will and Ana alone. The fib worked, and she turned her attentions to the other man. "Thanks for that," Will whispered. "Don't mention it," she winked.  
They didn't exchange words anymore. There was a constant hum of incomprehensible talk in the dim building. But clear as glass, Ana heard Jack say, "Let's just say it's a matter of leverage." Ana was startled and glanced sideways. 'Yes, he heard it too,' she thought, looking at Will's expression. 'I'll kill you, Jack. You promised.' Again the babble, drowned out the private conversation and no more could be heard. A scrawnier wench now advanced on Will. She pulled down one of the shoulders of her blouse to reveal her sickly pale shoulder. Ana's eyes narrowed. 'I know her!' The girl was making lovesick faces at Will. 'She always made my life miserable in here! Ugh, disgusting display as always,' Ana thought with extreme dislike. Suddenly there was a sound like a shot and the girl started. Will had been taken off guard too, and pulled out his sword, kicked over a table and whirled around, looking threateningly at everyone in the room. All the tavern's patrons were looking at him in uncertainty. Surely this display was entirely different than their usual bar brawls. Ana took the opportunity to put things right. She took a step over to the smaller wench and swung her fist with all her might, catching her in the jaw. The girl was out cold before she hit the tavern floor. This deed put everything inside the pub back into motion, Will's outburst forgotten.  
Jack and Gibbs had finished their drinks, their mugs on the table, seemingly the source of the first commotion, and emerged from their secluded area. "About time to get to thirty six of those forty winks, savvy?" Jack said, stepping over the unconscious wench on the floor. "Let's go then," Ana said, a hint of bitterness in her voice as she, too, glanced down at the girl. She didn't care how long she stayed down there.  
  
Back out in the open road, Ana decided to bring up the subject of supplies. "Jack, there isn't much on that ship and with bringing on a crew, there's just not enough to live off of," she explained. She spoke in a low voice as the group of vicious looking women that had migrated to follow Jack walked slowly past. "What's that?" Jack asked, watching them from the rear. "Food, Jack! We're going to need more food," she said impatiently. "Well, go buy it then," he answered. "With what?" she demanded. Jack watched a well-endowed wench walk by, his eyes following her, and said, "Use your assets." He howled in pain as Ana stomped down hard on his foot with all her might. "And just what is that supposed to be mean, Jack Sparrow?" she shouted. Hopping up and down on one leg and holding his foot, he whimpered, "Only meant that you have your own chattels, you could get the bloody things yourself." "Too right I have my own money, Jack, but I won't be spending it like that. Use my assets indeed, I know what you meant, I'll use your assets, more like. Hand it over, captain," she growled. Jack put his foot tenderly back on the ground away from Ana for fear of having it stamped upon again and gave her some of his money. "Where will we be staying?" she asked mildly, her temper subsiding now that she knew she would be using Jack's own money for things they would need. "Over there," Gibbs pointed to a small inn across the street. Jack nodded, once again holding his throbbing foot. "Alright," she said, "I'll be back before daybreak." She turned and as she walked away she heard Jack tell Gibbs and Will, "She really is just like her mother." 


	10. The Golden Trio

A/N: Copyrights to POTC are not mine. Copyrights to my characters are. This chapter really doesn't have too much to do with the main plot at all, but I've been going through some stuff and I needed a reason to laugh.  
  
Ana wandered about the busiest part of Tortuga for about an hour, simply taking in the familiar surroundings. She knew she wouldn't be able to pick up any of the supplies they would need until daybreak so she simply decided to meander around the heart of the island. She passed numerous taverns, all very noisy and brightly lit with lamps. She took various turns, left then right, then left again, zigzagging her way through the avenues.  
  
As she passed a row of dingy looking shops, she had a sudden thought, 'I wonder how many people really are stuck on this rock. I wonder if they were able to get away from here.' She took a tentative step forward, 'More to it, I wonder if they even remember me.' And with that thought, she turned on her heels and headed back the way she came, letting her feet carry her, not bothering to think of what her precise bearings were. She passed a foul-smelling blonde haired man who was surrounded by empty clay jugs and a number of mangy cats on her way back. He reached out and caught the hem of her skirt, "Where ye be going, pretty lass?" "None of your business, sir," she replied coldly as she tried to wrench her dress out of his grasp. "Well now, ain't you the fiery one?" he laughed in his gravelly voice. "Leave me be or you'll regret it," she threatened him. He laughed harder, "Come now, girl, keep some company with a man who's down and out." "Well, I can tell you're down, but unfortunately, you're not out," Ana sneered at him. The man turned angry, "Now see here, girl, I won't be talked to like that!" A voice called out clearly from down the road, "She can talk to ye however she likes, McCoy." Both Ana and the man on the ground turned in the direction of the voice. A man of about twenty with fiery red hair and skin that the sun had turned to a reddish brown came walking towards them. He did not walk slowly, but as though he had a purpose but did not need to hurry to fulfill it. Ana smiled brightly when her eyes locked with the young man's own pale green ones. The man on the ground started to cough and sputtered, "Now you hear me, boy. Ye won't be talking to me like that either. You and that brother o' yourn may look like your pap but ye ain't him, understand me?" Ana looked down at the man still clutching the material of her skirt and realization dawned on her face. "Ah, now come on, Uncle," said the red headed man as he kicked away McCoy's hand from Ana's dress, "Leave the young lady be. She's not yer flavor anyways." Ana bunched her under- and outer-skirts in her hands and took a step back from the filthy man at her feet so he could not get another handful of the material. "Say boy, have a bottle on you?" McCoy asked, apparently losing all memory of the disturbance he had just caused with Ana. The man standing by Ana laughed good-naturedly, "Well, Uncle, it's good to know yer mind works on more than one track, although I don't think highly of either: women and the bottle. Both'll get you into some nasty spots when you least expect it." He tossed a small brown glass bottle to the man sitting among the cats and added, "Better you than me." McCoy uncorked it and began to take enormous swigs, eventually ending up lying on his back. The man took Ana by the elbow and led her away from his drinking kin. "Thanks for that," Ana smiled up at him. "Daemon McElroy at your service, as usual, I might add" the red head bowed low to her. She laughed loudly, rousing some dozing drunks they were passing. "I find your uncle hasn't changed much, though I didn't expect him to ever be that brazen. And what of you and that likeness of yours? How have you been in my absence? Hungry?" she inquired. "Aye! Starvin' since the day you left port!" Daemon exclaimed clutching his non-existing belly," Haven't had a proper meal in somethin' odd years. Me brother got himself a wife..." "He did what?" Ana exclaimed, interrupting him. "Now hold on there, my lady, I haven't finished," he bowed again, winking with a mischievous grin, "He got himself a wife but she just couldn't take him so she up and left." "No!" "Yes, ma'am, married for no more than two weeks and took the next ship outta here." "I really didn't think he would be that bad," Ana admitted. "Nah, it wasn't him, really. Well, maybe a bit of it was. She just couldn't handle all that Irish," he laughed. "So where is he now?" she asked. "We got ourselves a tavern now, live above it in a little room. Take turns runnin' it in shifts," Daemon said proudly. Ana grinned, "So you're businessmen now, eh?" "Aye, truly," her companion grinned once more. It seemed to Ana that they had been walking aimlessly for the entirety of their conversation but it turned out her friend had another agenda. "That there's our little hovel," Daemon pointed up ahead to a small but rowdy little structure. It was definitely one of the more noisy establishments Ana had come across. 'It suits them,' she thought. "Come on," Daemon said excitedly, grabbing her hand, "You've gotta come and see!" He pulled her all the way to the door of his tavern.  
  
When they stepped inside both of their faces broke into large smiles, Daemon's one of pride, Ana's one of amusement. Unlike the tavern she had entered with Jack, Will, and Gibbs, this bar had a welcoming atmosphere, ignoring the brawls taking place in different corners. "Oy, Owen, stop drinkin' our profits!" he called to his mirror image behind the counter who was sipping from a medium-sized tankard. He grinned impishly and waved at his twin then his mouth dropped open in dismay, "Daemon! Who've you got there? Is that who I think it is?" Ana smiled and waved at the openmouthed man. "The very one, brother o' mine! Our Lady Ana has come back to us! Pray we get some food in our bellies 'fore she takes off again!" Daemon hollered to his roguish brother. "Aye!" Owen yelled back and looked towards the ceiling, "Lord Above, take pity on the two oddities that have landed in your devil's paradise!" Ana laughed as she pulled up a stool opposite the man behind the counter. Owen didn't say anything as his twinkling green eyes studied her face. "Mate, where's your manners? Pour the girl a cuppa!" Daemon demanded. "Right-o!" he said and ducked under the counter. He emerged with a large mug and came back with an even bigger jug. As he poured the ale, he asked Ana, "Daemon here told you about me wife?" "Yes, he did. Honestly, Owen, what were you thinking?" she asked, an eyebrow raised. Owen shrugged, "I thought she could cook." Ana burst out laughing, snorting into her ale. The two Irishmen grinned at each other. "A thought just came to me..." Ana started. "Does that happen often?" Daemon asked in concern. Ana punched his arm before continuing, "How did you just happen to be walking down the same road I was tonight? You said you and your brother take shifts running this place. That's obviously true from right now. Shouldn't you have been resting or something?" Daemon smirked, "Resting, not I!" Ana narrowed her eyes at him. "Nay! Not the Look! I pray ye, not the Look!" Ana couldn't help herself, she was always laughing when she was in the company of these two. Owen answered her query, "Some bloke came in saying Jack Sparrow had come back and he was with a younger gent and a nice young lass who seemed vaguely familiar to him before. Well, the other gent's of no meaning to us but that Sparrow, if he's with a young lady, a nice young lady mind, well, that would have to be our Miss Ana! So I took a dash upstairs and got this lump outta bed to go find ye." Ana looked back and forth between her two friends. They really didn't seem to have aged a day since their last meeting. As the two men started to crack jokes on one another, she allowed her mind to slip into the past. The McElroy twins had made her stay in Tortuga bearable. They're wicked sense of humor and good nature had made her pass the time more quickly. While they knew they couldn't quite make her forget her past, they always did all they could to keep a smile on her face. They, too, had lost their parents to pirates though they remained with their aunt and uncle, and in the loss of her brother, they had become her next of kin. "...Ye shouldn't be drinking so much, mate," Daemon was saying as Ana came out of her reverie. "Ah, it's just a bit of liquid diet, Daem. 'Twon't do much harm." "It will on an empty stomach," Ana interjected. "You gonna do somethin' about it, then?" Owen challenged her. She sighed in compliance, "Aye, I'll do something about that starving belly of yours. What have you got around here?" "Nothing solid, that's for sure," Daemon said, disgruntled. "Is this the youngin I's took a liking to, so many years ago?" An ancient looking woman with red hair approached the three friends. "'Lo Auntie Moura!" Owen said jovially. "Hello, Miss Moura," Ana smiled at the old woman. "'Tis you, Ana, 'tis really you! Are ye back for good, my bonnie girl?" she asked in her heavy Irish accent. "Not a chance, Miss Moura, I'll be leaving again in a day or two," Ana answered softly. "Oh," the aged woman murmured. "Now Miss Moura, you know this isn't the place for me," she said, taking one of the old woman's hands in her own. "Why aren't you staying?" Daemon demanded. "I have things that need to be done. No, don't ask me any questions," she said putting up her hand to stop the tirade she knew was about to come forth. "Now Miss Moura, do you have any food I can make up for these nephews of yours?" "Yeah, Auntie Moura," Owen raised his eyebrows at his archaic relative, "Have ye got any eats for these starving neffies of yourn?" Moura McElroy threw a mutinous look at the men before her, "Now normally, I'd tell ye to starve, ye be making money in this evil place. But since it's on request from our Ana here, I'll see what I can bring up." She turned and shuffled out of the tavern.  
  
"Well ain't ye our lucky charm, then?" Owen patted Ana's hand on the counter, "She'd just let us shrivel up like the old fig she's turned into." "Owen!" Ana reprimanded him. "It's true, Ana," Daemon said in mock sorrow, "Since we opened this place, our dear old uncle's taken to the bottle more than ever, which then leads him to go after the women, and our dear old Auntie blames us." "But, really, we don't make him drink the stuff," Owen put in, "We just don't deny our customers." Ana's two friends continued on their rant of their aunt's accusations until her return with a large sack of food parcels. "Well, here's a good bunch for these rascals. See what ye can do for them, Ana," she said, laying the bag on the counter away from a middle aged man nursing his small tankard of rum. "I don't think I'll be seeing ye again, so I wish you the very best where ever the wind takes ye." "Thank you, Miss Moura," Ana whispered, embracing the frail woman. Moura turned, wiped her eyes on her shawl and walked out of her nephews' tavern. "She's always like you better than us," Daemon said thoughtfully watching his aunt's retreating back. "Don't say that!" Ana said harshly. He shrugged, "Why not? It's true." Ana wasn't sure to feel indulged for herself or sad for her friends.  
  
She spent a good portion of her night making up various dishes for her friends that could be kept for a long period of time without spoiling. When she had put the final dish under the counter, she peered out of the tavern doorway and saw the pink mist of dawn spreading through the street. "I should be on my way, I still have loads to do," she said. "So where are ye off to now, eh?" Owen asked, still sniffing at the pleasant smells that hung around their small oven in the other room. "Well, I could tell you that, Master Owen, but then I'd have to kill you," she said, playfully punching him in the ribs. "Ow!" he exclaimed, feigning injury and massaging his side. "So ye mean not to tell us what you're up to, then?" Daemon glanced sideways at her. "No, I mean not to." "Does it concern that Jack Sparrow?" "What do you think?" Ana asked, one hand on her hip. "Well, ye showed up with him, so I'm willin' to guess it does." Ana sighed, "Yes, it does concern him, but it concerns other matters as well." "All right, keep your secrets," Owen grinned, "We'll be missin' ye though." "Missing your meals, more like," Ana retorted. "Well now, that be a bit harsh, lass," Daemon said in a disapproving tone. "I don't hear you denying it," was the reply. Both men grinned. "It really such a bad thing we got the luck o' the draw when we caught you as a friend with a talent for cookin'?" Owen asked, a fresh mug of ale in his hand. "Gimme that!" Daemon grabbed the tankard away from his mirror image. "I was gonna drink that!" his brother countered. Ana rolled her eyes. Suddenly, she had an idea. "Boys, stop bickering, I need to ask a favor of you," she said, once more gaining her commanding aura. Both had their hands grasped around the mug but they looked at her, waiting for instruction. "I'm going to leave this here," she said, pulling out her money pouch and laying several coins of various sizes, smiling when her friends' eyes widened at the sight of them, "No, they aren't for you, or for the running of this place. I'm sure you've seen my ship in the possessor's yard down at the docks. I need to start making payments to get it back. I expect that my current business is going to take me quite some time. Save these coins, don't you spend them, mind, and make monthly payments to the shipyard on my behalf." Daemon and Owen looked at each other, nodding. "Aye, I suppose we could do that," Owen consented. "Not a cent is to be spent elsewhere, understood?" Ana's eyes flashed menacingly. Daemon took a step back from her, "Wouldn't dream of it!" "Oh, I'm sure you'd dream of it," Ana said, "You had just better not do it." "As you wish," he said, and scooped the money into his hand. "Besides," Owen added, "It would be on a real guilty conscience if we did, knowin's how much you love that ship." Ana smiled lightly, "Thanks for this. I really should be off now. I said I would return to my companions by daybreak with supplies for our voyage and, as you can see, the sun is rising and I haven't gotten a thing." "Well, at least we know you'll be back eventually. Not a big fear of starving in the mean time," Daemon winked at her. She hugged her good friends tightly and said, "Try to keep out of your aunt's wrath, she has a good heart, you know. And watch that unfathomable uncle of yours, he'll be in too deep before long. The wind will bear me back this way, and I expect you two to have yourselves in a right comfortable condition when I see you next, savvy?" The men nodded and smiled, and with that, she exited the Irishmen's tavern into the morning glow that was engulfing Tortuga. 


End file.
